Multiple stack dispensing container

ABSTRACT

A disposable, non-refillable container for holding and gravity-fed dispensing folded articles is disclosed. The container holds multiple stacks or articles. The container is non-permanently affixed to a surface with a mount and the container dispenses an individual stack of articles from an individual dispensing opening when that stack is configured substantially above the dispensing opening. To dispense another stack of articles within the container, the container is reconfigured such that the next stack of articles is placed in position for dispensing. The container may also include an area of the container adapted for use as a waste receptacle.

BACKGROUND

Various types of dispensers and dispensing containers have beendeveloped to provide ready availability of articles to users. Suchdispensers are common for dispensing paper products such as facialtissues, napkins, paper towels and the like. One common type ofdispensing container dispenses paper products from the top of thecontainer. Such containers often utilize a stack of folded products thatare interfolded with each other so that when the top product isdispensed through the dispensing opening of the container, the nextproduct is pulled to the dispensing opening for future dispensing.

While such dispensing containers conveniently provide the user withfolded products (e.g., folded tissues), they are inherently limited intheir capacity. The stack height of products in such top dispensingcontainers is limited by the dimensions of the paper product beingdispensed. If the box is too high the next product to be dispensed willnot be pulled to the dispensing opening with the product beingdispensed. Instead, the next product is left down inside the dispenserwhere it can be very difficult to remove; the user has to reach downthrough the dispensing opening into the dispenser to retrieve theproduct.

One solution to the limited capacity of such dispensing containers is touse a container having two dispensing sections. When the first sectionis fully dispensed from the top, the container is flipped over and thesecond section is dispensed. The container essentially acts as twocontainers that are attached back-to-back. However, each dispensingsection of such a container will have the same type of height limitationas the single stack dispensing discussed above.

Another type of solution is to use a mechanical or spring means to pushthe paper products toward the dispensing opening. These types ofdispensers are often found in both vertical and horizontalconfigurations. However, such a mechanical solution requires additionalparts which add costs and can malfunction or break. Such solutions arenot economical in the context of disposable dispensing containers.

Gravity-fed dispensing is another solution to these issues. Withgravity-fed dispensing the products are dispensed from the bottom of thestack. Gravity ensures that the next product is always available at thedispensing opening. However, the height of the stack in gravity-feddispensing is also limited. The entire weight of the stack rests on theproduct that is being dispensed. If the stack is too heavy, the productbeing dispensed can be difficult to dispense; the product can be damagedor more product than is needed may be removed from the dispenser. Thisbecomes even a greater issue when dealing with heavier paper products,such as heavy wipers or towels.

Another issue with dispensers of all types is that they are usuallyfound in fixed locations. For example, the towel dispensers in a publicrestroom are generally fixed to the wall. A person who is looking toprovide such paper products has to generally install a dispenser, but isthen stuck with the location of that dispenser. It is difficult forthose who want to provide paper products in a temporary location, or whowish to frequently change the dispenser location, to do so withtraditional mounted dispensers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In light of the problems and issues discussed above, it is desired tohave a dispensing container that is able to dispense a large quantity offolded articles. It is also desired that the container be disposable andnon-refillable. It is further desired that such a container be capableof being easily located and/or relocated wherever the user desires.

The present invention is directed to a disposable, non-refillablecontainer for holding and gravity-fed dispensing folded articles. Thecontainer has an upper panel, a lower panel having at least a firstdispensing opening, a front panel, a back panel, and at least one sidepanel. A first dispensing column is also present in the container and isformed by the cooperation of the upper, lower, front, back and sidepanels and is configured to hold stacks of folded articles. Thecontainer also has a first support structure within the first dispensingcolumn and a mount which non-permanently affixes the container to asupport surface. The first dispensing opening is configured to dispensea first stack of folded articles when the container is attached to thesupport surface such that the first stack of articles is substantiallyabove the first dispensing opening. The first support structure isconfigured to support the weight of at least a second stack of foldedarticles while the first stack of folded articles is being dispensed.This first support structure is configured so that it may be manipulatedsuch that the second stack of folded articles may be delivered to thefirst dispensing opening after the first stack of folded articles hasbeen dispensed.

In various embodiments of the present invention the first supportstructure may be so manipulated by the container being configured forthe first support structure to be removed from the container; thecontainer having a bracing structure that supports the first supportstructure that can be removed from support of the first supportstructure; a removable panel integrally connected to the first supportstructure, where the removable panel and integrally connected firstsupport structure are configured to be removed from the container; orthe container and first support structure may be configured for thefirst support structure to be pulled from and reinserted into the firstdispensing column.

In some embodiments the container may also have a second supportstructure within the first dispensing column, where the second supportstructure is configured to support the weight of at least a third stackof folded articles while the first and second stacks of folded articlesare dispensed. This second support structure is configured to bemanipulated such that the third stack of folded articles may bedelivered to the first dispensing opening after the first and secondstacks of folded articles have been dispensed.

In other embodiments the container may also have a second dispensingopening in the lower panel, and an interior wall. The interior wallcooperates with the upper, lower and side panels to provide a seconddispensing column horizontally adjacent to the first dispensing columnand configured to hold stacks of folded articles. The second dispensingopening is configured to dispense a third stack of folded articles whenthe container is attached to the support surface such that the thirdstack of articles is substantially above the second dispensing opening.In further embodiments such a container may have a second supportstructure within the second dispensing column, where the second supportstructure is configured to support the weight of at least a fourth stackof folded articles while the third stack of folded articles is beingdispensed. This second second support structure may be configured to bemanipulated such that the fourth stack of folded articles may bedelivered to the second dispensing opening after the third stack offolded articles has been dispensed.

In embodiments of the present invention the folded articles of the firststack are different than the folded articles of at least one of thesecond, third or fourth stacks. In some embodiments the first stack offolded articles comprises a plurality of folded articles each having aneffective dispensing length dimension and the first stack having apre-dispensing height dimension which is greater than the effectivedispensing length dimension of an individual folded article within thefirst stack

In various embodiments of the present invention the first supportstructure may be formed from at least one end tab of the back panel;from a portion of the back panel; from a portion of at least one sidepanel; or from a portion of two side panels.

In another embodiment the container may have one area configured for useas a waste receptacle.

The invention is also directed to a system for holding and gravity-feddispensing a plurality stacks of folded articles. The system is made upof a plurality of stacks of articles, a container which is adapted tocontain the plurality of stacks of articles in one or more verticaldispensing columns, at least one support structure within a verticaldispensing column that supports the weight of at least one stack ofarticles while a first stack of articles is being dispensed, and a mountwhich non-permanently affixes the container to a support surface. Eachstack within the plurality of stacks of articles is configured todispense articles of said stack when the stack is substantially above adispensing opening. The support structure is configured to bemanipulated such that the stack of articles being supported by thesupport structure may be delivered to be dispensed after the first stackof articles has been dispensed.

In various embodiments of the system the support structure may be somanipulated by the container being configured for the support structureto be removed from the container; the container having a bracingstructure that supports the support structure that can be removed fromsupport of the support structure; or the container and first supportstructure may be configured for the first support structure to be pulledfrom and reinserted into the first dispensing column.

In an embodiment of the system the container has at least one areaconfigured for use as a waste receptacle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the container of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the container ofthe present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front cross-sectional view of another embodiment of thecontainer of the present invention

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a single folded article as may becontained and dispensed by the container of the present invention.

FIG. 4B is an end view schematic of an interfolded stack of the foldedarticles of FIG. 4A (not to scale) such as may be contained anddispensed by the container of the present invention.

FIG. 5A is a rear perspective view of another embodiment of thecontainer of the present invention showing the end tab of a back panelfolded in to the interior of the container.

FIG. 5B is a side cross-sectional view of the container illustrated inFIG. 5A.

FIG. 6A is a rear perspective view of another embodiment of thecontainer of the present invention showing a portion of the back panelfolded in to the interior of the container.

FIG. 6B is a side cross-sectional view of the container illustrated inFIG. 6A and showing a portion of the back panel folded down in to theinterior of the container.

FIG. 6C is a front perspective view of the container illustrated in FIG.6A.

FIG. 7A is a rear perspective view of another embodiment of thecontainer of the present invention showing a portion of the back panelfolded in to the interior of the container.

FIG. 7B is a side cross-sectional view of the container illustrated inFIG. 7A and showing a portion of the back panel folded down in to theinterior of the container.

FIG. 7C is a front perspective view of the container illustrated in FIG.7A.

FIG. 8A is a perspective view of another embodiment of the container ofthe present invention showing a portion of a side panel folded in to theinterior of the container.

FIG. 8B is a front cross-sectional view of an embodiment of thecontainer of the present invention, similar to that shown in FIG. 8A,showing a portion of both side panels folded in to the interior of thecontainer.

FIG. 8C is a front cross-sectional view of another embodiment of thecontainer of the present invention, similar to that shown in FIG. 8A,showing a portion of both side panels folded in to the interior of thecontainer and interlocking with one another.

FIG. 8D is a top cross-sectional view of the container of FIG. 8C andshowing the interlocking of the portions of side panels folded in to theinterior of the container.

FIG. 9A is a front perspective view of another embodiment of thecontainer of the present invention.

FIG. 9B is a front perspective view of the container of FIG. 9A showinga removable panel removed for access to a removable weight supportstructure.

FIG. 10A is a front perspective view of another embodiment of thecontainer of the present invention.

FIG. 10B is a front perspective view of the container of FIG. 10Ashowing a removable panel.

FIG. 11 is a front cross-sectional view of another embodiment of thecontainer of the present invention showing multiple dispensing columnsand a trash receptacle section.

FIG. 12 is a front cross-sectional view of another embodiment of thecontainer of the present invention showing multiple dispensing columnsand multiple trash receptacle sections.

FIG. 13A is a back view of another embodiment of the container of thepresent invention with a mounting means.

FIG. 13B is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 13A attached to asubstantially vertical surface.

FIG. 14A is a back view of another embodiment of the container of thepresent invention with a mounting means.

FIG. 14B is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 14A attached to asubstantially vertical surface.

FIG. 15A is a back view of another embodiment of the container of thepresent invention with a mounting means.

FIG. 15B is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 15A attached to asubstantially vertical surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is a disposable, non-refillable container capableof gravity-fed dispensing of two or more stacks of folded articles. Thearticles dispensed by the container of the invention are any articlescapable of being dispensed. Such articles may include, but are notlimited to, facial tissue, toilet tissue, napkins, wipers, towels,absorbent personal care products (e.g., diapers, feminine care products,incontinence products), and the like. Such articles may be individuallyfolded and stacked on top of each other or may be interfolded such thatthe folds of each individual folded article partially overlaps the foldsof the folded article that is adjacent in the stack.

The plurality of stacks of articles to be dispensed by the containers ofthe present invention may be stacks of all the same type of articles.For instance, all of the stacks may be paper towels. Alternatively, theindividual stacks of the container may each be a different type ofarticle or the stacks may be a combination of similar and differenttypes of articles. For example, a single container may dispense one ormore stacks of facial tissue and one or more stacks of paper towel. Inanother example, the same container may dispense stacks of towels,stacks of tissues, stacks of wipers, and stacks of absorbent personalcare products. In a further example, the same container may havemultiple stacks of the same type of articles (e.g., diapers), but eachstack may be a different size of that type of article (e.g., a stack ofsmall-sized diapers, a stack of medium-size diapers, and a stack oflarge-size diapers). The articles and stacks contained within thecontainer may be any combination of articles and attributes that theuser desires.

The container of the present invention is intended to be a disposable,non-refillable dispenser of articles. The articles are loaded into thecontainer during manufacture and delivered to the user as a singledispensing system. The user may use the dispenser on any substantiallyvertical surface they desire and dispose of the entire container whenthe articles have been dispensed; users need only to replace the emptycontainer with a new container rather than refill the container. Thisreduces the amount of attention the user has to give the container andprevents problems with container overstuffing. Additionally, such adisposable container may be used wherever the user wishes to dispensethe articles of the container; the user is not limited to dispensinglocations where traditional dispensers have been installed (e.g., in oron a wall in a public restroom).

The container may be made of any material that can contain and dispensethe articles of the present invention. Preferably, the container may bemade of heavy paper, cardboard or plastic, but it may be made of anyother suitable material within the scope of the invention.

The containers of the present invention dispense the articles theycontain with the aid of gravity. Prior art top or horizontal dispensingcontainers rely on interfolding of the articles or the use of mechanicalsprings or other such devices to push or pull the stack of articles tothe dispensing opening. As discussed earlier, such additional parts addcost to those dispensers and may malfunction or break. The container ofthe present invention relies on gravity to dispense the articles whilethe container is in a substantially vertical configuration. As usedherein, “substantialy vertical” refers to a surface or containerconfiguration that is more vertical in nature than it is horizontal innature; i.e., perfectly vertical to less than forty-five degrees fromperfectly vertical. As used herein, “configuration” refers to aparticular arrangement of parts or components relative to each other andto their surroundings.

As discussed above, prior art vertically oriented dispensers useinterfolded articles to dispense those articles from the top of suchdispensers. Gravity tends to work against those types of dispensers. Asthe article trailing the article being dispensed is being pulled upwardby the preceding article, it is also being pulled in the oppositedirection by gravity. Often, such articles will fall back into thedispenser and the user will have to reach down into the dispenser toretrieve the article. By dispensing from the bottom of the container,the container of the present invention dispenses with the aid of gravityrather than working against gravity.

The containers of the present invention, such as the container 10 shownin FIG. 1, dispense from a bottom surface of the container. In such aconfiguration, the stack of articles that is being dispensed will besubstantially above the individual article being dispensed. The surfacethrough which the articles are dispensed will often be the bottommostsurface of the container 10. It is possible that the container may havesurfaces lower than the surface through which the articles aredispensed, but in those cases the article being dispensed will still bedispensed from the bottom of a stack of articles such that the stackwill be substantially above the article being dispensed.

There are many configurations with multiple stacks of articles that areembodied in the present invention. In FIG. 1, the container 10 containstwo stacks of articles that are vertically adjacent to each other with afirst support structure 31 separating the two stacks, as seen in thecutout of FIG. 1. The vertical column of stacks of articles thatdispense through the same dispensing opening, along with the firstsupport structure 31 that separate the stacks, form a first dispensingcolumn.

The container 10 has a front panel 25, an upper panel 26, a lower panel24 opposite the upper panel 26, side panels 27, and back panel (notshown in FIG. 1) opposite the front panel 25 that forms the final sideof the container 10. It should be understood that the terms “front”,“back”, “upper”, “lower”, and “side” are used only to describe therelative positions of each panel. All the panels 24, 25, 26 and 27cooperate to provide the generally polygonally-shaped container 10 withinner compartments configured to hold multiple stacks of articles. Asused herein, “configured” refers to particular arrangement of parts orcomponents set up for operation especially in a particular way. Duringdispensing, as will be described below, any panel of the container 10may be positioned lower than rest of the container 10 to allowgravity-fed dispensing through an opening in that panel.

The container 10 is shown as dispensing an article 12 from a first stack41 of articles through the first dispensing opening 21. As seen in FIG.1, the articles 12 of the first stack 41 are dispensed when the firststack 41 is oriented above the first dispensing opening 21. The firstdispensing opening 21 is shown as an oval opening through the lowerpanel 24. However, the first dispensing opening 21 may be anyclosed-loop shape that allows for regular dispensing of the articles 12.Additionally, the first dispensing opening 21 may be formed by theremoval of a portion of the lower panel 24 defined by a line ofweakness, or the first dispensing opening 21 may be present on thecontainer 10 as it is delivered to the user. The line of weakness may beperforations, scoring or other similar method of providing weakness inthe material.

The first stack 41 is separated from the second stack 42 by a firstsupport structure 31. As seen in the cutout of FIG. 1, the first supportstructure 31 supports the second stack 42 while the first stack 41 isbeing dispensed. When the first stack 41 is completely dispensed throughthe first dispensing opening 21, the container 10 and the first supportstructure 31 are configured such that the first support structure 31 nolonger supports the second stack 42 and subsequently, the second stack42 drops to take the space previous occupied by the first stack 41. Thefirst support structure 31 may be manipulated to allow the suspendedstack of product to drop into position for dispensing. As used herein,“manipulate” or “manipulated” or “manipulation” refer to: to operatewith the hands and/or by mechanical means especially in a skillfulmanner. To manipulate the first support structure 31, it may be removed,moved out of the way, influenced by acting on an operablely adjacentcomponent or otherwise similarly manipulated. Once in position fordispensing, the articles 12 of the second stack 42 can then be dispensedfrom the first dispensing opening 21.

While the container 10 of FIG. 1 illustrates a dispensing column of twostacks of articles 41, 42, the container 10 may include more than twostacks of articles. FIG. 2 illustrates a container with dispensingcolumn of three stacks of articles. As seen in the cutout of FIG. 2, afirst support structure 31 supports a second stack 42 above a firststack 41 that is dispensing through the first dispensing opening 21. Athird stack 43 is supported above the second stack 42 by a secondsupport structure. As with the container of FIG. 1, when the first stack41 is completely dispensed, the first support structure 31 ismanipulated such that the second stack 42 can drop and occupy the spacepreviously occupied by the first stack 41 for dispensing through thefirst dispensing opening 21. When the second stack 42 is completelydispensed, the second support structure 32 is manipulated such that thethird stack 43 can drop and occupy the space previously occupied by thefirst stack 41 and second stack 42 for dispensing through the firstdispensing opening 21.

The embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate containers that dispensemultiple stacks of articles from a single vertical dispensing column ofsuch stacks. FIG. 3 illustrates another possible configuration of thecontainer of the invention; the container may have more than onedispensing column of multiple stacks. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3,there is a first dispensing column 310 and second dispensing columns 320that dispense articles 12 through a first dispensing opening 21 and asecond dispensing opening 22, respectively. The dispensing columns arehorizontally adjacent and separated by an interior wall 37.

Each of the dispensing columns 310, 320 are shown in FIG. 3 as havingtwo vertically adjacent compartments from which two stacks of articles12 may be dispensed. A first stack 41 of articles 12 may be contained inthe first dispensing section 311 of the first dispensing column 310 andanother first stack 41 may be contained in the first dispensing section321 of the second dispensing column 320. Likewise, a second stack 42 ofarticles 12 may be contained in the respective second dispensingsections 312, 322 of the dispensing columns 310, 320. In each dispensingcolumn 310, 320, the first dispensing sections 311, 321 and the seconddispensing sections 312, 322 are separated by first support structures31 that separate the first and second stacks 41, 42 within each of thedispensing columns 310, 320. When the first stack 41 is completelydispensed from either of the first dispensing sections 311, 321, thefirst support structures 31 may be manipulated such that the secondstack 42 will drop from the respective second dispensing section 312,322 and dispense from the space previously occupied by the first stack41.

It is contemplated that greater than three or four stacks of articlesmay be dispensed from such containers. As can be seen by the fewexamples discussed above, there are many different combinations ofcontainer configurations that may dispense multiple stacks of articles.More horizontally adjacent dispensing columns may be added to acontainer, such as shown in FIG. 3, and each of those dispensing columnsmay dispense more than two stacks of articles, in a manner similar tothat illustrated in FIG. 2. Different relative sizes of stacks andhorizontal or vertically adjacent configurations may all be modifiedindividually or in combination to produce a container configuration thatmeets the dispensing needs of the particular articles being dispensed.

An example of the type of article that can be dispensed from thecontainer 10 of the present invention is shown in FIG. 4A. The article12 shown in FIG. 4A is a single sheet which has been folded in half tocreate a folded or lead edge 17. The article 12 also has a trailing edge13 which is formed by the two ends of the article 12 which now reside ina position adjacent to one another. A second fold 15 is imparted to thearticle 12 substantially parallel to the lead edge 17. The second fold15 divides the effective dispensed length of the article 12 into atrailing flap 14, having a length L1, and a leading flap 16, having alength L2. The “effective dispensed length” of the article 12 is thelength the user will have to pull the article 12 from a dispensingopening of the container 10 to remove the article 12 from the container10. As shown for the article 12 of FIG. 4A, the effective dispensedlength is the additive lengths of the leading and trailing flaps L1, L2.

The articles 12 are dispensed from a stack 120 of such articles 12 asillustrated in FIG. 4B. FIG. 4B shows a schematic end view of aninterfolded stack 120 of five articles 12. In practice, a stack 120would preferably comprise over 100 articles 12. For purposes of clarity,only five articles 12 are shown in FIG. 4B and they have been labeled A,B, C, D, and E. The stack 120 of articles 12 would be dispensed from thecontainer 10 of the present invention by removing articles 12 from thebottom of the stack 120. As shown in FIG. 4B, the user would grasp theleading flap 16 of the bottommost article A and pull the article 12 froma dispensing opening of the container 10. The leading flap 16 of thenext article B would then be available at the dispensing opening forready dispensing.

The fold pattern of the individual articles 12 and the interfolding ofthe articles 12 into a stack 120 as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B are shownas non-limiting examples. The container 10 of the present invention maydispense articles 12 that are folded in any of the numerous ways thatarticles 12 are folded and are well known in the art. Additionally, thestack 120 may be interfolded in any of the numerous ways that are wellknown in the art or the stack 120 may not be interfolded at all.

The actual interior dimensions of the containers 10 of either of FIGS.1-3 are dependent on the size and weight of the articles beingdispensed. One of the advantages of the containers 10 of the inventionis the ability of the container 10 to dispense a stack of articles thathas a greater stack height, prior to dispensing any of the articles 12of the stack 120, than the effective dispensing length of any one foldedarticle 12 within the stack 120. In FIG. 4B, if the articles 12 aredispensed from the top of the stack 120, the last flap length (shown inFIG. 4B as the leading flap 16 of article E) of the uppermost article Ewould pull on the next article D such that the next article D would bebrought to the dispensing opening for later dispensing. Where articles12 are dispensed from the top of the stack 120, the original stackheight H (i.e., the height H of the stack prior to dispensing any of thearticles 12) will be limited to some height H less than the effectivedispensing length of any individual article 12. If the height H isgreater than the effective dispensing length of an individual article12, at some point in dispensing the articles 12, an article 12 will nolonger be able to bring the next article up to the dispensing opening.Additionally, in the case where the dispensing opening cannot hold on tothe next article to be dispensed, a higher stack height H willcorrespond to a deep dispensing section that would be inconvenient for auser to reach down into to retrieve a fallen article.

The container 10 of the present invention dispenses the articles fromthe bottom of the stack 120 and thus does not have the same limitationon the height. The height H of the stack 120 of articles 12 in thecontainer 10 of the present invention is only limited by the size andweight of the stack of articles 12 being dispensed and the design of thedispensing opening. As is well known in the art, if too much stackweight is pressing on the article that is being dispensed, thedispensing article will be difficult to dispense and may be damagedduring removal.

For example, the inventors have found that a stack of paper towelshaving a stack height H of approximately 13 inches (33 cm) may beeffectively dispensed from a container 10 of the present invention.Paper towels having a basis weight of 45 grams per square meter, andmeasuring 8 inches (20.3 cm) in width and 12 inches (30.5 cm) in length,were folded in half and interfolded in the fashion shown in FIGS. 4A and4B. The effective dispensing length of the individual paper towels was 6inches (15.2 cm). Each of the folded towels had an individual weight ofapproximately 2.8 grams.

The stack of towels was contained in a container with inside dimensionsof approximately 8 inches (20.3 cm) wide by 3.75 inches (9.5 cm) deep.The towels were dispensed through an oval dispensing opening in thecontainer which measured 7⅞-inches (20 cm) wide and 1.75 inches (4.4 cm)deep at its center point. The stack was positioned above the dispensingopening, such that the weight of the stack rested on the sheet to bedispensed. It was found that a stack of such towels having apre-dispensing weight of approximately 900 grams could be dispensedthrough such an opening. The stack was approximately 13 inches (33 cm)tall and contained approximately 320 towels. Such a stack height H isgreater than twice the effective dispensing length of the individualtowels dispensed. Stack weights greater than 1070 grams were found tohinder acceptable dispensing, causing the sheet to tab or tear.

Different types of articles 12 of different weight, size and texture,along with differently designed dispensing openings, may allow forgreater stack heights H or may require lower stack heights H. Oneskilled in the art would be able to adapt the stack height H, and thecorresponding dimensions of the container 10 to meet the needs of theparticular article 12 that is to be dispensed.

Several of the container configurations discussed above include asupport structure to support a stack of articles while another stack ofarticles, vertically adjacent to the supported stack, is being dispensedfrom the lower portion of the container 10. To reduce material cost andsimplify the production of such containers, it is desired that thissupport structure be a part of the body of the container 10.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate a first support structure 31 formed fromportions of the back panel 51 of the container. The back panel 51 of thecontainer 10 shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B is formed from an upper back panel53, which extends from the upper panel 26, and a lower back panel 55,which extends from the lower panel 24. The distal end of the upper backpanel 53 forms an upper end tab 54 and the distal end of the lower backpanel 55 forms a lower end tab 56. The upper and lower end tabs 54, 56are folded inward as shown in FIG. 5A to form the finished container 10such that the upper and lower back panels 53, 55 form a planar backpanel 51. As seen in FIG. 5B, the upper and lower end tabs 54, 56 formthe first support structure 31 on the interior of the container 10. Theupper and lower end tabs 54, 56 may or may not be fastened together andthey may or may not be attached to the interior surface of the frontpanel 25.

While the lower end tab 56 is shown as extending to the front panel 25of the container 10, alternatively, one or both of the end tabs may onlyextend a portion of the distance from the back of the container towardthe interior surface of the front panel 25. The end tabs may be longerthan the distance from the back of the container to the front panel 25and may have additional folds where they contact the interior of thefront panel 25. The upper end tab 54 may be longer than the lower endtab 56 or the lower end tab 56 may be longer than the upper end tab 56.The relative sizes of the upper and lower back panels 53, 55 and thesize and folds of the upper and lower end tabs 54, 56 may beappropriately designed to meet the needs of the articles to be dispensedand the desires of the user.

Another exemplary support structure may be formed from a portion of theback panel 51 of the container 10. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, aportion of the back panel 51 may be designed to be folded in to theinterior of the container 10. This back flap 67 may be any size portionof the back panel 51 that would be adequate to function as a supportstructure, but not so large that articles contained within the container10 easily fall out though the resultant opening in the back panel 51.Although the back flap 67 is shown as a single piece of the back panel51, the support structure may be formed from multiple strips of the backpanel 51 that are folded up into the interior of the container 10 toform multiple back flaps 67. The back flap 67 is also shown assubstantially rectangular in shape, but it may be any shape, symmetricalor symmetrical, that adequately performs the function of a weightsupporting structure.

The first support structure 31 of FIGS. 6A and 6B further includes abracket 35 operablely adjacent to the back flap 67 when it is folded into the container 10 and which helps the first support structure 31support the weight of a second stack 42 of articles 12 while a firststack 41 is being dispensed. As shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C, the bracket 35may be a portion of front panel 25 that is pushed in to the interior ofthe container 10, leaving a bracket opening 61 in the front panel 25.Alternatively, the bracket 35 may be an additional piece of material ormultiple pieces of material that have been attached to the interiorsurface of the front panel 25.

In a similar way, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, a portion of the backpanel 51 may be designed to be folded up in to the interior of thecontainer 10. Rather than using a bracket 35, as in the embodiment ofFIG. 6B, the first support structure 31 shown in FIGS. 7B and 7Cincludes a tab 69 which engages a notch 73 in the front panel 25 to helpthe first support structure 31 support the weight of a second stack 42.As shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C, the tab 69 is an integral portion of backflap 67 formed from a portion of the back panel 51. The notch 73 is aportion of the front panel 25 that has been removed and is appropriatelysized to securely receive the tab 69.

FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8C and 8D illustrate embodiments of support structuresformed from a portion of one or more of the side panels 27 of thecontainer 10. FIG. 8A shows a portion of only one side panel 27 foldedin to the interior of the container 10. This side flap 77 may be anysize portion of the side panel 27 that would be adequate to function asa support structure, but not so large that articles contained within thecontainer 10 easily fall out through the resultant opening in the sidepanel 27. The single side flap 77 may extend all the way to the interiorsurface of the opposite side panel where it may or may not be attachedto the interior surface of the side panel. The side flap 77 may besupported by a bracket 35, as in FIG. 6B, or a tab 69 and notch 73, asin FIG. 7B.

Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 8B and 8C, the first support structure31 may be formed from side flaps 77 of more than one side panel 27 ofthe container 10. The side flaps 77 may be formed by a portion of a sidepanel 27 being folded down into the interior of the container 10 and aportion of the opposite side panel 27 being folded up into the interiorof the container 10 as shown in FIG. 8B. As above, the side flaps 77 besupported by a bracket 35, as in FIG. 6B, or a tab 69 and notch 73, asin FIG. 7B. The sizes of the multiple side flaps 77 may be the same orthey may be different.

Alternatively, the support structure may be formed from a portion bothside panels 27 being folded up into the interior of the container 10 asshown in FIG. 8C. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 8C and 8D, the sideflaps 77 are long enough to overlap in the interior of the container 10.The distal ends of both side flaps 77 contain a longitudinal slit 79such that the side flaps 77 mutually engage each other.

The side flaps 77, may be long enough to overlap as in FIG. 8B or theymay only extend a portion of the way into the interior of the container10. As with the other embodiments of the support structures, the sideflaps 77 may be any size or shape, symmetrical or asymmetrical, thatmeets the needs of the article being dispensed and the desires of theuser.

The opening in one or more of the side panels 27 left when forming thesupport structure, providing the additional benefit of allowing the userto see into the interior of the container and thus acts as a gauge tothe user as to the number of articles remaining to be dispensed.Markings on the exterior of the container 10 near the opening may aidthe user in determining the relative number of articles remaining to bedispensed. Alternatively or in addition to exterior markings, the shapeof the side flap may be designed such that a regular pattern would beformed about the periphery of the opening left in the side panel 27 thatthe user could utilize to estimate the articles remaining to bedispensed.

In the embodiments of the present invention, a single stack of articles12 is dispensed while one or more stacks of articles are held in reservevertically adjacent to the stack being dispensed. These one or morereserve stacks are separated from the stack being dispensed, and fromeach other, by support structures. When the dispensing stack iscompletely dispensed, these support structures are manipulated such thata reserve stack is allowed to drop into position for dispensing.

One method of such manipulation of the support structure is the removalof the support structure from the container 10. For example, a line ofweakness may be incorporated into the container 10 to facilitate theremoval of the support structure. The embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5Aand 5B show a line of weakness 57 that is incorporated into the lowerback panel 55 of the container 10. While the line of weakness 57 isshown in FIG. 5A as on the lower back panel 55, a line of weakness 57would be used wherever the support structure is attached to thecontainer 10 in that particular embodiment. Such a line of weakness 57may be a line of perforations, scoring, or other similar method ofproviding weakness in the panel 55. The line of weakness 57 allows theuser to easily remove the first support structure 31 (i.e., the lowerend portion 56) from the container 10 of FIG. 5A. To aid the user, afinger tab 59 could be incorporated into the line of weakness 57 whichcan give the user a starting point to separate the first supportstructure 31 from the container 10.

In other embodiments a tear strip may be used to facilitate the removalof the support structure 31; such an embodiment is illustrated in FIGS.9A and 9B. As illustrated in FIG. 9A, a removable portion 85 defined bya tear strip 83 is located on the front panel 25 of the container. Toremove the removable portion 85, the user grasps and pulls on the pulltab 87 which engages the tear strip 83 and separates the removableportion 85 from the front panel 25. As shown in FIG. 9B, the removableportion 85 is appropriately located on the front panel 25, such thatwhen it is removed the first support structure 31 is made accessible forremoval. The first support structure 31 can then be removed and thesecond stack 42 of articles 12 can drop down and made ready fordispensing.

The tear strip 83 is desirably formed by a tape, line, rope, and soforth, containing strong fibers within it. The tear strip 83 may beformed from a number of different materials, such as, but not by way oflimitation, natural or synthetic fiber, plastic, metal wire, anycombination(s) thereof, and so forth. It will be understood thatmaterial forming the tear strip would normally, but not by way oflimitation, be applied to the shipping carton when it is in it flat formas a blank prior to formation. One such tear strip is available from H.B. Fuller Company, Linear Products Division, Vancouver, Wash., sold asOPEN SESAME®. Other tear strips as well as shipping cartons areavailable from Weyerhaeuser Company, Bowling Green, Ky. The tear strip87 may be attached to the container 10 by any method, such as, by way ofnon-limiting example, adhesive, heat sealing, ultrasonically sealing,laminating, integrally formed with the container 10, and so forth.

As shown in FIG. 9A, the tear strip 83 includes a pull tab 87. The pulltab 87 is desirably, but not by way of limitation, formed as a portionof the front panel 25 of the container 10. In this instance, the pulltab 87 desirably is defined by perforations formed thereabout whichpermit the pull tab 87 to separate from the panel when released andgrasped by a user. In addition, the pull tab 87 desirably includes pullindicia as well. The term “pull indicia”, as used herein, means anyword(s), numeral(s), line(s), symbol(s), picture(s), and/orcombination(s) thereof, and so forth, which indicate to a user thelocation, release, and method of use of the pull tab 87.

The support structure may alternatively be an integral part of aremovable panel, such that the support structure is removed from thecontainer 10 when the removable panel is removed. Such an embodiment isillustrated in FIGS. 10A and 10B. In the embodiment of FIGS. 10A and 10Ba removable panel 90 with an integral first support structure 31 isincorporated with a container 10 having a slot 95 adapted for receivingthe first support structure 31. The removable panel 90, in thisembodiment is thus attached flush with the front panel 25 of thecontainer. Additionally, tear strips 83 with pull tabs 87 areincorporated into the removable panel 90. When the first stack 41 ofarticles 12 is completely dispensed from the container 10, the removablepanel 90 is released from the container 10 by the user pulling on thepull tabs 87 to engage the tear strips 83. As the first supportstructure 31 is an integral part of the removable panel 90, the firstsupport structure 31 is removed with the removable panel 90 and thesecond stack 42 of articles is allowed to drop into place fordispensing.

Such removable panels with integral support structures could also beused in other examples of the invention. The removable panel may beincorporated into a side panel 27 or the back panel 51 of the container10 or any other panel as the particular design of the container 10warrants. For embodiments having multiple dispensing columns andmultiple stacks, and thus multiple support structures within thatcolumn, the removable panel may be broken into separately removablesections. These sections may be defined by tear strips such that onlythe portion of the removable panel with the desired particular supportstructure is removed.

Rather than complete removal of the support structure, another method ofmanipulating the support structure is the removal of the bracingstructures that support the support structure. For example, in theembodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C the first supportstructure 31 is supported by a bracket 35. When the first stack 41 iscompletely dispensed, the user can reach into the bracket opening 61 andpull back, or remove, the bracket 35 and thus allow the first supportstructure 31 (i.e., the back flap 67) to drop down along with the secondstack 42 that it supported. Likewise, in the embodiment illustrated inFIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C, when the first stack 41 is completely dispensed,the user can push the tab 69 back into the interior of the container 10and thus allow the first support structure 31 (i.e., the back flap 67)to drop down along with the second stack 42 that it supported.

Finally, the container 10 itself may be designed to allow the supportstructures to be manipulated when another stack is to be dropped downfor dispensing. For the embodiment shown in FIGS. 8C and 8D, thecontainer 10 could be designed such that the side panels 27 are allowedto be pulled away from each other such that the side flaps 77 would alsobe pulled away from each other so they would no longer mutually engageeach other. The side flaps 77 would then fall back into their originalpositions on the side panels 27 and allow the stack of articles 12 thatthey supported to drop to the dispensing opening. Similarly, rather thaneach of the entire side panel 27 being pulled away from each other, thecontainer 10 could be designed such that only a single side panel 27would be pulled away from the container 10. Alternatively, portions ofthe side panels 27 could be designed to allow for the side flaps 77 tobe pulled away from each other.

Any of the panels incorporating a support structure could be made to bemoveable such that the support structure is moved away from thecontainer 10, allowing the supported articles to drop; the panel couldthen moved back into place to maintain the integrity of the container.Alternatively, the support structure itself may itself be adapted to bemoveable in or out of the dispensing columns of the container 10. Eachsupport structure then could be independently slid in or out in such amanner as to control the stacks of article 12 being dropped to thedispensing opening or on to another support structure.

Any of the above methods for manipulating the support structures of thecontainer 10 could be used individually or in combination with oneanother. The examples and illustrated embodiments are not intended to belimiting. One skilled in the art can see that there are many possibleconfigurations of possible containers 10 of the present invention andmany possible methods of manipulating support structures within thoseconfigurations.

Additional utility may also be added to the container 10 by supplyingthe container 10 with replenishment indicia on the container 10 revealedby the removal of the support structure. The term “replenishmentindicia”, as used herein, means any word(s), numeral(s), line(s),symbol(s), color(s), picture(s), and/or combination(s) thereof, and soforth, which indicate to a user that one or more stacks have beendispensed and that the container 10 will need to be replaced orotherwise serviced in the near future. For example, the replenishmentindicia may include a message or colored panel on the front panel 25 ofthe container 10 of the embodiment of FIGS. 10A and 10B that is revealedwhen the removable panel 90 is removed. Another example would be theexistence of opening in the front panel 25 of the container 10 that isformed by the removal of the removable portion 85 in the embodiment ofFIGS. 9A and 9B. These examples are not intended to be limiting; thereplenishment indicia may be any signal to the user that one or moresupport structures of the container 10 have been manipulated to allow areserve stack to be dispensed.

The container 10 may also include viewing openings 71, as illustrated inFIGS. 6C, 7C, 9A, 9B and 10A, which allow the user to see how much of astack of articles remains to be dispensed. Such indicia and viewingopenings allow for the easy servicing of the containers 10 and helpsprevent unexpectedly running out of articles 12.

Additional utility may also be added to the container of the inventionby including one or more spaces within the container that may act aswaste receptacles. Such spaces may be used to dispose of the dispensedarticles after they are used or to dispose of other refuse. Anembodiment of a container 10 with this added functionality is shown inFIG. 11. The container 10 of FIG. 11 has two dispensing columns 310, 320from which stacks of articles may be dispensed. In addition there is anarea between the dispensing columns 310, 320 within the container 10that is available for use as a waste receptacle 100. The wastereceptacle 100 may be accessed through openings made through one of thepanels of the container 10.

FIG. 12 illustrates another possible configuration of the container 10having available waste receptacles 100. The container 10 of FIG. 12 hasa first, second and third dispensing column 310, 320, 330. Like theother dispensing columns 310, 320, the third dispensing column 330 isshown with a third support structure 33 and dispenses its stacks ofarticles from a third dispensing opening 23. In addition, two wastereceptacle 100 sections are located between each of the dispensingcolumns. Alternatively, the waste receptacle 100 section may instead belocated on the two ends of the container with the three dispensingcolumns horizontally adjacent between them. In either case, the wastereceptacles 100 may be accessed through openings made through one of thepanels of the container 10.

FIGS. 11 and 12 are only illustrative examples; other configurations ofcontainers 10 with one or more waste receptacles 100 are possible. Thesize and shape of the waste receptacle(s) 100 may be any size or shapewithin the container 10 as is required or desired. In addition toadditional spaces within the container 10 set aside as waste receptacles100, the individual dispensing sections may also be adapted for use aswaste receptacles 100 after the articles have been dispensed.

The container 10 is additionally designed to non-permanently attach to asubstantially vertical support surface. As used here, the term“non-permanently” refers to the attribute that the container may beattached to a substantially vertical support surface, detached, andreattached to the surface, repeatedly, during the limited use-life ofthe container 10. The substantially vertical support surface may be anysurface that when a container 10 is affixed to it will allow thearticles to be dispensed in a downward direction (i.e., the majority ofthe stack of articles will be substantially above the particulardispensing opening). For example, the support surface may be, but is notlimited to, a wall, a door, a post, a pole, a dispenser affixed to awall or embedded into a wall, or the like. The embodiments of thecontainer 10 of this invention may require removal from the supportsurface for disposal or for removal of the support structure 31 of thecontainer. As such, the manner in which the container 10 is affixed tothe vertical support surface must be non-permanent in nature. However,the means for attachment must also be strong enough and configured insuch way that the container 10 is secured to the surface 135 whilearticles are dispensed from the container 10.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 13A and 13B, the container 10 isnon-permanently affixed to a surface 135 by multiple attachment strips130 on the back panel 51 of the container 10. The attachment strip 130may be any type of material that will affix the container 10 to thesurface 135, but will allow the container 10 to be removed from, andreaffixed to, the surface 135.

For example, the attachment strip 130 may be a pressure-sensitiveadhesive or any other type of adhesive, as are well known, that wouldwork for such purposes. Such an adhesive strip may be protected by apeel strip that covers the adhesive until the user wishes to affix thecontainer 10 to a surface 135. Such an adhesive may be applied directlyto the back panel 51 of the container 10 or may be in the form oftwo-sided adhesive tape. In another example, the attachment strip may bea hook or a loop material that affixes to corresponding loop/hookmaterial on the surface 135 the container 10 is to be affixed.

The attachment strips 130 are illustrated in FIGS. 13A and 13B as twostrips located on the back panel 51; one near the lower panel 24 and onenear the upper panel 26. The attachment strips 130 may be of any shape,any dimension and in any position, relative to each other and to theback panel 51, that would securely affix the container 10 to the surface135 during dispensing. For example, the attachment strips may be larger,smaller, vertically aligned, or otherwise configured on the back panel51. Instead of two attachment strips 130 there may be more than twostrips or there may be just one attachment strip.

FIGS. 14A and 14B illustrate a back tab 141 for affixing the container10 to a surface 135. As shown, a portion of the back panel 51 may beadapted to be released from the back panel 51 along a line of weakness143 in the back panel 51. Such a line of weakness 143 may beperforations, scoring or other similar method of providing weakness inthe material. The back tab 141 may then be folded out of the plane ofthe back panel 51 and used to affix the container to the surface 135. Inthe embodiment shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, the back tab 141 has multiplereceiving openings 145 which may be holes present in the back tab 141 ormay be perforations in the back tab 141 where the back tab material maybe removed. Such a receiving opening 145 may be attached to a mountingbracket 147 that is present on the surface 135. Instead of utilizingreceiving openings 145, the back tab 145 may utilize an attachmentstrip. Such an attachment strip may be located on the interior of thecontainer 10 until the back tab 145 is folded out of the plane of theback panel 51, to affix the container 10 to the surface 135.Alternatively, a combination of the back tabs 141, attachment strips130, receiving openings 145, and mounting brackets 147 may be used.

The back tabs 141 in FIGS. 14A and 14B are shown to be portions of theback panel 51 that are folded out of the plane of the back panel 51 andsupport the container 10 from above. Alternatively, the back tabs 141may be formed out of one or more portions side panels 27 that is foldedback out of the plane of the side panel 27 and affixes the container 10to the surface 135. The back tabs 141 may also be formed out of acombination one or more portions of the back panels 51 and the sidepanels 27.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 15A and 15B, the container 10 isaffixed to the surface 135 by a mounting connector 157 that connectswith a receptor 155 on the back panel 51 of the container 10. Thereceptor 155, may be a holes in the back panel 51, holes that may bemade in the back panel 51 by removing portions of the back panel 51defined by perforations (as shown in FIG. 15A), or other means that willwork in concert with the mounting connector 157 to affix the container10 to the surface 135. For example, the back panel 51 may include areceptor 155 that will affix to mounting connector 157 that is recessedin the surface 135. In another example, the receptor 155 may be amagnetic material that will affix to a surface 135 made of metal or to amagnetic mounting connector 157.

Finally, the mounting connector 157 may be a bracket attached to thesurface 135 designed such that the entire container 10 slips inside ofor is otherwise wholly supported by the bracket.

1. A disposable, non-refillable container for holding and gravity-feddispensing folded articles comprising, an upper panel, a lower panelhaving at least a first dispensing opening, a front panel, a back panel,at least one side panel, a first dispensing column, formed by thecooperation of the upper, lower, front, back and side panels andconfigured to hold stacks of folded articles, a first support structurewithin the first dispensing column, and a mount which non-permanentlyaffixes the container to a support surface, where the first dispensingopening is configured to dispense a first stack of folded articles whenthe container is attached to the support surface such that the firststack of articles is substantially above the first dispensing opening,and where the first support structure is configured to support theweight of at least a second stack of folded articles while the firststack of folded articles is being dispensed, and where the first supportstructure is further configured to be manipulated such that the secondstack of folded articles may be delivered to the first dispensingopening after the first stack of folded articles has been dispensed. 2.The container of claim 1, further comprising a second support structurewithin the first dispensing column, where the second support structureis configured to support the weight of at least a third stack of foldedarticles while the first and second stacks of folded articles aredispensed, and where the second support structure is configured to bemanipulated such that the third stack of folded articles may bedelivered to the first dispensing opening after the first and secondstacks of folded articles have been dispensed.
 3. The container of claim1, where the container is configured for the first support structure tobe removed from the container.
 4. The container of claim 1, furthercomprising a bracing structure that supports the first supportstructure, where the bracing structure is configured to be capable ofremoval from support of the first support structure.
 5. The container ofclaim 1, further comprising a removable panel integrally connected tothe first support structure, where the removable panel and integrallyconnected first support structure are configured to be removed from thecontainer.
 6. The container of claim 1, where the container and firstsupport structure are configured for the first support structure to bepulled from and reinserted into the first dispensing column.
 7. Thecontainer of claim 1, further comprising a second dispensing opening inthe lower panel, and an interior wall, where the interior wallcooperates with the upper, lower and side panels to provide a seconddispensing column horizontally adjacent to the first dispensing columnand configured to hold stacks of folded articles, and where the seconddispensing opening is configured to dispense a third stack of foldedarticles when the container is attached to the support surface such thatthe third stack of articles is substantially above the second dispensingopening.
 8. The container of claim 7, further comprising a secondsupport structure within the second dispensing column, where the secondsupport structure is configured to support the weight of at least afourth stack of folded articles while the third stack of folded articlesis being dispensed, and where the second support structure is furtherconfigured to be manipulated such that the fourth stack of foldedarticles may be delivered to the second dispensing opening after thethird stack of folded articles has been dispensed.
 9. The container ofclaim 8 where the folded articles of the first stack are different thanthe folded articles of at least one of the second, third or fourthstacks.
 10. The container of claim 1, where the first stack of foldedarticles comprises a plurality of folded articles each having aneffective dispensing length dimension and the first stack having apre-dispensing height dimension which is greater than the effectivedispensing length dimension of an individual folded article within thefirst stack
 11. The container of claim 1, where the back panel furthercomprises at least one end tab and where the first support structure isformed from at least one end tab of the back panel.
 12. The container ofclaim 1, where the first support structure is a portion of the backpanel.
 13. The container of claim 1, where the first support structureis a portion of at least one side panel.
 14. The container of claim 13,where the first support structure is a portion of two side panels. 15.The container of claim 1, further comprising at least one areaconfigured for use as a waste receptacle.
 16. A system for holding andgravity-fed dispensing a plurality stacks of folded articles comprising,a plurality of stacks of articles, a container which is adapted tocontain the plurality of stacks of articles in one or more verticaldispensing columns, at least one support structure within a verticaldispensing column that supports the weight of at least one stack ofarticles while a first stack of articles is being dispensed, and a mountwhich non-permanently affixes the container to a support surface, whereeach stack within the plurality of stacks of articles is configured todispense articles of said stack when the stack is substantially above adispensing opening, and where the support structure is configured to bemanipulated such that the stack of articles being supported by thesupport structure may be delivered to be dispensed after the first stackof articles has been dispensed
 17. The system of claim 16, where thecontainer is configured for the support structure to be removed from thecontainer.
 18. The system of claim 16, further comprising a bracingstructure that supports the support structure, where the bracingstructure is configured to be capable of removal from support of thefirst support structure.
 19. The system of claim 16, where the containerand support structure are configured for the support structure to bepulled from and reinserted into the container.
 20. The system of claim16, where the container comprises at least one area configured for useas a waste receptacle.